Bhupen Hazarika sings for Gandhi to Hitler

Assam’s living legend and one of the country’s very few surviving balladeers might presently be moving in and out of hospitals in Mumbai on account of his deteriorating health but his passion towards music remains steadfast. The audio track of the to-be-released ‘Gandhi to Hitler’ where he has lent his voice despite his sickness was released in a simple ceremony in Guwahati recently. Bhupen Hazarika’s songs were recorded a couple of months back for the film, the music directors of the which, includes among others, Assamese musician Lyton.

Based on the differing ideologies of two historical figures – Mahatma Gandhi and Adolf Hitler, ‘Gandhi to Hitler’ is set in the backdrop of World War II. The film is directed by Rakesh Ranjan Kumar and produced by Dr Anil Kumar Sharma for Amrapali Media Vision, a Delhi-based production house.

The Assam Ratna awardee Hazarika has lent his magical voice to the film through one of Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajans. The bhajan “Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye…” has been translated into Hindi by debutante lyricist Dr Pallavi Mishra and sung in two different tracks by Bhupen Hazarika and Pinaz Masani. Dr. Pallavi Mishra is also the lyricist of all the songs of the film. Though the male version of the song is not part of the film, it has been included in the audio cd.

Four music directors have scored the music for the film. Talented Assamese musician Lyton, who has scored the music for several Assamese films including the likes of Dhan Kuberor Dhan, is also one of the four directors. The 1972-born Lyton has also associated with Pritam in hit films like Dhoom-II, Bhaagan-Bhaag, Khatte-Mithe, Tum Miley, Aakrosh, Action Replay etc.
The other music directors of the film apart from Arvind-Lyton are Aman-Benson and Sanjoy Chowdhury. Jagjit Singh, Daler Mehendi, Shaan, Priya Bhattacharya, Rana Mazumdar, Bensen Baby, Aman Pant, Vasundhara V and Shoureen are the other singers who have lent their voice to the film.

‘Gandhi to Hitler’ is a story of clash of ideology between the two most talked-about persons of that era – Mahatma Gandhi and Adolf Hitler. Connecting them is Azad Hind Fauz, the Indians, who, under the leadership of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, are fighting with Hitler, inside Germany, a source in Amrapali Media Vision said.

“Gandhi to Hitler” presents to the audience what happened within Adolf Hitler who was inside a bunker in the last stage of the World War II. As the enemy comes closer and closer, many of Hitler’s close associates and officers advise him to escape from Berlin to a safer place from where he can command his forces better. But Hitler refuses, and instead is joined in his bunker by his girlfriend Eva Braun, whom he ironically marries the day before they kill themselves. Meanwhile, in India, Mahatma Gandhi decides to fight India’s independence through non-violence. Since Hitler was also fighting the British, it was natural for Gandhi to align with him. But Gandhi decides to oppose both Hitler as well as the British. India was alone in the World War and had taken a very unique and idealistic stand, the source revealed.

The film finally establishes the superiority of Gandhism and non-violence over Nazism, thereby giving the message of world peace, a message still relevant in today’s context where the world continues to grapple with the dark clouds of terrorism.

The producer of ‘Gandhi to Hitler’ Dr Anil Kumar Sharma is a civil engineer and reputed structural engineer, who is also CMD of Amrapali Group that has specialized in Infrastructure Development, Project Management, Strategic Planning and Resource Planning. Winner of several awards as a technocrat, Dr Sharma and his Amrapali Group has now ventured into the world of films with “Gandhi to Hitler” being his first step.